On the 13 of November at the 2013 APSS (Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists) Dr Ronny Priefer of the Western New England University presented the worlds first functional breathalyzer for measuring blood sugar levels.
People who have diabetes produce higher than normal levels of Acetone. This is the results of burning of fat for energy when glucose is in low supply.
A fruity smell in the breath, caused by higher Acetone levels is often an indication of diabetes.
The technology detects the level of Acetone and then correlates it to sugar levels. It has been shown that this technology compares well when compared to current technology
The current device is about the size of a book. The researchers are working on a smaller model which will be around the size of a standard pocket breathalizer.
This will be a welcome development as the compliance for measuring sugar levels is much lower than it should be.
This will be a device that will competes with the Gloctrak which will be available in some countries in the first half of 2014. The new breathalizer is expected to be released in around two years
